How to view a group or object's material?
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Hi. Newbie here. Actually not that much of a newbie, as I've used SketchUp to model for years, but now I'm trying to set materials for Groups and Polys and I can't figure out how to view an object's (poly or group) material settings later-- after it's been set.
I open the Materials editor and leave the Edit tab open but when I select different groups and/or polys, the Materials palette doesn't change. Is it supposed to? If not, how does one 'edit' the material from an object? By using the eyedropper...seems slow. A better idea or something I'm just not getting?
TIA, Chipp
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Chipp,
Actually the material editor is not supposed to change ("jump" to a material) when you select a group (or any kind of entity) painted with that material. Certainly it is quite bad that you cannot easily find out what entity is painted with which material - and the only way seems to be the eyedropper to me.
When you are in the "Edit" tab, the "normal" eyedropper is immediately disabled anyway. Yet there are other eyedroppers; the two "match color..." ones that may help you quickly change materials applied all over the model.
Also, you can "reload" a certain material from the Edit tab - and this will change a material used all over the model.
That's all...
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Chipp -- If you look at the entity info for a selected face (or faces with the same material) you will see in the 'entity info' panel that there is a graphic representation of what materials are used on the front & back faces. (If you see a question mark your selection has faces with different materials). If you click on that graphic representation of the material you'll find a little 'Choose Paint' dialogue pops up and it gives you the option to edit the selected material. Note that such editing will alter all uses of that particular material throughout your model -- not just on the selected faces.
Regards, Ross
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Hehe, Ross, I have never used that little icon. There is something to learn every day...
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Gaieus and Ross,
Thanks a bunch for your replies. Much appreciated!
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